'As If Time Stopped' – France's Deepest Shipwreck 8,400 Feet Under The Sea

Everyone knows the story of the Titanic, the "unsinkable" vessel that became the most famous ship in the world when it struck an iceberg and sank into the icy depths of the North Atlantic in April 1912. Anyone drawn to the grandeur and tragedy of the story likely knows that the wreck of the Titanic, discovered in 1985, lies at a depth of 12,500 feet, or about two-and-a-half miles down. It's not only notable for how it sank, but also for its almost unreachable depths. The Titanic lies in international waters, but other notable and deep shipwrecks can be found all over the world, with France recently making an incredible discovery.

In March 2025, a French Naval dive team that was training off the village of Ramatuelle in southeastern France discovered an unmapped wreck in deep water — very deep. Found via sonar, the crew then sent an underwater camera to investigate, as the shipwreck is much too deep for divers to reach. What they found not only made the news, but it also made history.

The wreck is about 98 feet long and sits at a depth of more than 2,500 meters, or more than 8,200 feet. That's about a mile and a half down, and it's officially the deepest shipwreck in French waters. What did they find, and why have researchers called it a time capsule?

After discovering the wreck, the French Navy alerted the Ministry of Culture's Department of Underwater and Submarine Archaeological Research, which was able to confirm that this previously undiscovered shipwreck is a merchant ship from the 16th century. Named Camarat 4 due to its proximity to Cap Camarat headland, researchers have not yet determined the original name of the ship or its history.

Scientists, however, were able to date the ship based on its cargo. Archaeologists discovered cooking pots, six cannons, and anchors among the wreckage. They also found piles of decorated ceramic jugs with pinched spouts, yellow ceramic plates, and metal bars. The ceramics have been traced back to a seaside region of Italy called Liguria and were likely made sometime during the 16th century. Some have geometric designs or botanical themes, while others feature the letters "IHS," which are the first three letters of Jesus Christ's name in Greek.

While questions have been raised about how long the Titanic shipwreck will last, its extreme depth initially helped preserve it. Just like the Titanic, the depth of Camarat 4 has preserved the contents of the ship, protecting them from both decay and looters. Researchers hope to learn more with continued investigation, including how and why the ship sank, and why its stern is empty. Merchant ships were typically packed with cargo, though archaeologists acknowledged that if something was there, it may have been more perishable than the rest of the cargo and simply lost to time. For now, the wreck takes the crown as the deepest in French waters, a title previously held by a French submarine named La Minerve, which sank in 1968.